Da Xuan Martial Saint Chapter 1487 - 714: Returning to the Gate of Myriad Wonders (Part 2)

"Hmm? Could it be him?"

In that moment, a look of astonishment crossed someone's face as they recognized Chen Mu.

Standing a short distance from the Zhòng Miào Gate, True Yan Divine Monarch was watching various Ninth Heaven Divine Monarchs pass through the portal. His eyes shimmered with a strange light when he caught sight of Chen Mu arriving alongside Chen Yue and Chen Yao.

Even though he couldn't detect any specific aura or threads of causality from Chen Mu, he identified him instantly. During Chen Mu's previous arrival, True Yan had tried to recruit him to explore the Source Realm together, but Chen Mu had turned him down.

Following that encounter,

he had observed Chen Mu venture into the Source Realm entirely on his own.

Afterward, all news of Chen Mu vanished. Having disappeared into the Source Realm for several epochs without resurfacing, True Yan Divine Monarch felt a sense of wonder. It was highly unexpected that a newcomer like Chen Mu could find a way to endure within the Source Realm for such a long duration.

However, since they had only met once, his surprise was fleeting, and he soon dismissed the thought. Such occurrences weren't unheard of; even if Chen Mu was a novice to the Source Realm, his strength might have already reached the pinnacle of the Nine Layer Heavens Perfection, making a long-term stay plausible even on his first attempt.

This also clarified why Chen Mu had so bluntly rejected the proposal to form an alliance with him and Gu Hong Divine Monarch.

But this time around...

True Yan Divine Monarch fell into deep thought.

Time had passed, and he was no longer the same man; his own Cultivation had finally reached the Nine Layer Heavens Perfection!

He was currently waiting for the perfect moment to return to the Source Realm and attempt to survive there indefinitely. Once he entered this time, he wouldn't leave even if Universe Silence began. He would either prove his path as a Dao Venerable to transcend the cycle of reincarnation, or he would perish alongside the end of the universe.

Chen Mu's reappearance suggested he had hit a wall within the Source Realm or faced an obstacle he couldn't overcome, forcing him to regroup before trying again.

With this assumption in mind,

True Yan Divine Monarch immediately sent a divine transmission: "Brother Mu, it has been a long time."

As the message reached Chen Mu’s ears, his eyes shifted slightly. He looked toward True Yan Divine Monarch, returning the gaze from afar with a composed expression. He gave a small nod and replied, "It has indeed been a while."

"Brother Mu..."

Seeing that he hadn't mistaken the man's identity, True Yan Divine Monarch smiled and prepared to walk over to discuss a potential partnership.

But before the invitation could be uttered, he saw Chen Mu give a casual nod and then lead Chen Yue and Chen Yao directly toward the Zhòng Miào Gate.

"Hmm?"

True Yan Divine Monarch froze, his steps halting in confusion.

He could clearly perceive that Chen Yue and Chen Yao were only at the Eighth Layer Heaven at best. Was Chen Mu actually planning to take two Eighth Layer Heaven juniors into the Source Realm? What a bizarre move.

Before True Yan could shout a warning, he watched as Chen Mu and the two companions stepped into the threshold of the Zhòng Miào Gate.

Buzz!!!

Suddenly, the Zhòng Miào Gate flared with a brilliant golden radiance, as if a fundamental law had been triggered. A crushing pressure descended upon Chen Yue and Chen Yao, attempting to violently cast them out.

Lacking the Nine Layer Heavens cultivation meant one lacked the right to pass through the Zhòng Miào Gate; this was a fundamental rule established by the Origin Dao. In truth, it served as a safeguard. Those below the Nine Layer Heavens could not withstand the harsh laws inside the Source Realm, which would cause their divine power to bleed away until they were annihilated. Thus, the gate barred entry to any being below that rank.

At that moment,

The sudden commotion at the Zhòng Miào Gate caused many nearby Ninth Heaven Divine Monarchs to stop. Some even hovered in mid-air, staring at the gate with suspicion.

It wasn't strange for Chen Mu to bring Chen Yue and Chen Yao to this place; many Ninth Heaven Divine Monarchs traveled with a retinue of servants. However, the idea of bringing them into the Source Realm itself was unheard of.

"Does he not realize that those below the Nine Layer Heavens cannot enter the Source Realm?"

"It appears he is ignorant of the rules."

"What is the point of dragging two Eighth Layer Heaven juniors inside? It is nothing but a waste of Origin Power."

As the various Ninth Heaven Divine Monarchs watched the scene—some shaking their heads in pity, others watching with amusement—a sudden transformation occurred at the gate.

Confronted by the massive pressure and the repelling golden light aimed at his companions, Chen Mu simply flicked his sleeve. In an instant, an indescribable, supreme power manifested.

Boom!!!

The golden barrier of the Zhòng Miào Gate shattered instantly.

The power of the Great Dao's rules, which even Ninth Heaven Divine Monarchs found irresistible, was broken by a mere wave of Chen Mu's hand. He proceeded to lead Chen Yue and Chen Yao deeper into the Zhòng Miào Gate, their forms vanishing into the entrance.

"This..."

A heavy silence fell over the area in front of the Zhòng Miào Gate.

Every Ninth Heaven Divine Monarch watching was left speechless, their faces masks of pure disbelief.

"Impossible!"

"The rule-power of the Zhòng Miào Gate was actually forced apart?"

"How could he possess such power?"

The Divine Monarchs cried out in shock, unable to process what they had seen.

True Yan Divine Monarch was equally paralyzed, his eyes wide as he stared at the now-quiet gate. After the initial shock passed, a staggering realization filled his mind.

The laws of the Zhòng Miào Gate cannot be defied by Ninth Heaven Divine Monarchs; it is the ultimate Origin Rule. To forcibly override the laws of the Origin Dao, one must wield a similarly complete Power of Dao.

A Dao Venerable!

There was no other logical conclusion. Only a Dao Venerable could effortlessly shatter the gate's restrictions and bring two Eighth Layer Heaven juniors into the Source Realm!

"He... he is actually a Dao Venerable?"

True Yan Divine Monarch felt his mind spinning from the revelation.

When they had met previously, Chen Mu was certainly not a Dao Venerable. He must have found a supreme opportunity within the Source Realm, rising above thousands of other Divine Monarchs to achieve the status of a Venerable during his stay.

"So, he is one of the newly ascended Venerables..."

True Yan Divine Monarch whispered to himself.

The birth of a Dao Venerable causes the Origin River to manifest and illuminate the entire universe. Even from a great distance, Ninth Heaven Divine Monarchs can feel the disturbance. True Yan knew that several beings had recently reached that rank.

He never imagined that Chen Mu—the man he had briefly met and dismissed as a 'newcomer'—was one of those newly ascended Dao Venerables, standing at the absolute peak of existence.

In that instant,

True Yan Divine Monarch felt a strange sense of vertigo and confusion. After a long moment, he finally collected his thoughts, closed his eyes, and sent a message through the vast network of causality.

Meanwhile, inside the Source Realm, in a desolate wilderness shrouded in an eternal, lightless night, the darkness was absolute. Even the radiance from a Ninth Heaven Divine Monarch's power could only light up a few feet of the surrounding area.

A small group was trekking through this darkness with extreme caution.

Suddenly,

One member of the team stopped in his tracks, a look of profound shock on his face.

"What is the matter, Brother Gu Hong?"

A companion noticed his reaction and immediately became alert, scanning the darkness for threats.

"It is nothing, nothing at all."

Gu Hong Divine Monarch shook his head, his mind reeling as he answered his comrade.

A Dao Venerable?

That man who had only recently entered the Source Realm had already reached the Venerable rank? Gu Hong Divine Monarch had somehow managed to pick a future Dao Venerable out of millions and tried to invite him into a party. It was truly...

A complex, indescribable expression crossed Gu Hong's face. His lip twitched before he finally let out a helpless, wry smile. He forced the chaotic thoughts from his mind and explained to his companion:

"A minor matter from outside the Source Realm caught my attention, but it is of no concern. Let us proceed with our mission."

True Yan Divine Monarch had truly gone too far by sending him such news; it had completely unsettled his mind. It was simply unreasonable!